One type of pointing device is that of King et al., (U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,999; herein incorporated by reference) which uses three or four infrared LEDs in a hand-held transmitter. The LEDs are pulsed in sequence. The pulse amplitudes are measured at a receiver and associated with the source LED by the position in the pulse sequence. The relative amplitudes are then used to calculate the pointing direction of the device with respect to the receiver which is then used to position a cursor. Smooth and predictable cursor positioning requires that the LEDs be aimed in precisely controlled directions relative to the axis of the transmitter. A further requirement is that the emission of light from each LED must decrease smoothly with the angle from the optic axis of the LED. Yet a further requirement is that the angular emission profiles of each LED be nearly identical. By emission profile is meant the manner in which the light emitted from the LED decreases with angle as measured from the axis of the LED. These requirements cannot presently be met with commercially available LEDs, even if these LEDs are mounted in perfect physical alignment, because the optical precision required of the LEDs used in such devices is beyond current LED manufacturing techniques.